Gwent news

86 people charged as part of ‘crash for cash’ investigation

GWENT Police have charged 86 people as part of their investigation into an insurance scam, allegedly centred in Blackwood, known as ‘crash for cash’.

The people, mainly from across Caerphilly County Borough are due to appear at Cwmbran Magistrates Court on Thursday 10th October.

They have been charged with a number of different crimes including conspiracy to defraud (insurance companies), conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to launder money.

The scam is alleged to have operated out of a garage known as both ‘St David’s Crash Repair’ and ‘Easifix’, which was based in Pengam, Blackwood.

Detective Sergeant Andy Cullen who has been part of the investigative team from the outset commented:

“A team of officers and detectives have been investigating this sophisticated ‘crash for cash scheme’ alongside the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) for more than two years, and this has led to the arrest and charge of these 86 individuals.

He appealed for people who suspect anyone of committing insurance fraud to contact the police on 101 or report them directly to the free and confidential IFB Cheatline on 0800 422 0421, or online at www.insurancefraudbureau.org/report.